1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flywheel systems which receive kinetic energy for storage and for transmitting the kinetic energy for use. More particularly, the present invention relates to use of flywheel energy systems in combination with the wheel and braking system of an automobile.
2. Description of Related Art
Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
As the price of fossil fuel rises and more and more people are utilizing personal vehicles as a means for transportation, the demand for fuel continues to increase. The population of the world is increasing, but just as importantly, the general population of many countries which historically did not have personal engine-driven vehicles is on the rise. There is more and more demand for hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cells, and electric means for transportation. These are designed for the most efficient means of converting energy to propulsion with the least amount of energy consumed.
In the conservation of energy, losses during the braking action of a motorized vehicle can be stored and reused during the acceleration of the vehicle. The efficiency of energy consumption for propulsion is increased and less energy is used because of capturing and reusing the energy that is normally burned as excess heat in the vehicle's braking system. There are many proven technologies which utilize this method of energy recovery. These technologies date back twenty or thirty years and are utilized in many hybrid electric vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,012, issued on Nov. 16, 2004 to C. W. Gabrys, describes a flywheel energy storage system which has an energy storage flywheel supported in a low pressure containment vessel for rotation on a bearing system. A brushless motor/generator is coupled to the flywheel for accelerating and decelerating the flywheel in order to store and retrieve energy. The flywheel is rotated in normal operation at a speed such that the generator voltage is higher than the output voltage. The flywheel's power supply efficiently maintains power to an electrical load during an interruption of primary power by supplying power generated from the flywheel's generator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,595, issued on Jun. 16, 1998 to H. A. Rosen, provides a flywheel support system that isolates the flywheel and its motor-generator from the driving environment of an electrically-powered motor vehicle. During normal operation, a mechanical gimbal system keeps the vacuum housing centered in the outer housing, reacts the spin moments generated by the motor-generator, and provides a path for the electrical leads into the vacuum housing. A suitable liquid is placed between the outer and vacuum housings of the flywheel assembly to provide buoyancy and damping to the vacuum housing, cooling the motor-generator, and serving as one of the barriers to rotor energy and angular momentum transfer in the event of an accident or failure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flywheel system which allows for the transfer of kinetic energy in mechanical systems that have bi-directional power flows.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flywheel energy system that is connected to the vehicle which stores energy during the braking phase of the vehicle and reuses the energy during the acceleration phase of the vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flywheel energy system avoids the wasting of energy in the operation of a vehicle.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a flywheel system which serves to minimize fuel consumption and/or energy storage requirements by the vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flywheel system that can be directly retrofitted to the wheels of an existing vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention which allows the torque required for acceleration and braking to be split among the wheels of the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flywheel system for the wheel of a vehicle which creates higher energy efficiency without the use of brushes or exciters.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a flywheel system for energy transfer which minimizes battery requirements in the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flywheel system applicable to the wheels of a motor vehicle which is applicable to gas, fuel cell, biomass, and all electric vehicles, including hybrids thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an energy recoverable wheel motor which lengthens the life of mechanical brakes of the vehicle.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.